MSN Spaces and how I learned to hate the bomb.

Like many people are probably doing, I’m test driving this new blogging service from MSN (Microshaft, M$, Microsuck). I’m going to get this out of the way and say that I love it when things are integrated with other programs, but there are a few things I can't stand.

Example.

When you publish something on your blog, your friends will get a message through MSN Messenger saying that you’ve updated your blog. You can also publish your playlist to your blog using Windows Media Player that links your list to the MSN Music Store.

By using Microsoft’s Passport, you can make your blog private, so the approved people will have to log in through Passport to see your blog. If your family doesn’t have an MS Passport, they will have to sign up for one. You can even search the web using MSN search.

I love things like this, but I do think it’s just another step closer to an all Microsoft branded world. Pretty soon we’ll be wearing MSN branded clothes, eating from MSN branded plates, while preying at the Church of MSN. We’re being locked into using Microsoft 24/7.

I can’t publish my songs on my blog by using iTunes or Real. I can’t instantly link my song list to the iTunes Music Store or even Napster. I can’t notify my friends that my blog has been updated through AOL. Why does this bug me? It boils down to the iPod. Oh, I said it again. I love talking about the iPod.

I also like to choose a few things.

People on the Windows side of the world are crying foul at Apple because they won’t open the iPod up to other music stores or Windows Media Audio. They cry that customers want a freedom of choice. They claim that Apple is trying to lock iPod users into iTunes and iTunes users into iPods, while Microsoft sits back and says, “Oh, but you can use Windows Media Player to access our music store and other music stores. You can also use our media player to interface with a lot of the mp3 players on the market. What’s that Apple? Oh, iTunes can only access one music store and interface with one player?” *sticks out tongue*

Microsoft is just trying to tighten its grip on the world and I’m starting to get paranoid, man.

Try playing your AAC music collection in Windows Media Player.

You can’t.

Try finding an mp3 player that can play AAC.

You don’t see a lot of them. Most players support mp3 and WMA like the iRiver H120, the Rio Carbon, and the Samsung Napster Music player.

There, you see. Microsoft is trying to lock you into buying music players that support WMA and use music stores that sell songs in the WMA format. Why? To control that market too. Operating systems and web browsers aren’t enough anymore.

Microsoft wants the messenger, search, free e-mail, music store, and now blog markets.

That is why Microsoft integrating everything Microsoft bugs me.

So who is crying about being locked into the Fairplay DRM that Apple uses again? Also, Apple doesn’t even own AAC. It was developed by the same people who brought you mp3, so you can throw out the “AAC is Apple Proprietary,” crap.

But back to the blog.

It’s nothing great. I understand that it’s still in beta. The word beta becomes a part of your blog. You can pick from a lot of different color schemes, but the layout remains the same. They should mix it up a bit like Blogger does. The URL to your site is not pretty either. Again, I prefer Blogger.

Before I sign off, I do have a suggestion for Microsoft (Microstupid, Microslime) on product integration. How about you include a feature that lets me publish to my blog from MS Word, but it lets me publish to Blogger and others too because I’m tired of copying things in Word and then pasting them into the blog of choice.